Shovel-board.



E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1913 Patented May 4:, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I ll'l 1 E-Mezzrzzls E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 21. 1913.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHUm-LITHO.. WASHING TDN. D. C

E. W. DENNIS.

SHOVEL BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED 01:121. 191.3.

Patented May 4, 1915.

SHEET 3- 3 SHEETS o v. .0 O.

l I l i l l l I l I I l l I l l 30 lwmwtoz Wanna/o THE NORRIS PETERS CO"FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

ivrrnn STATES PATENT orrron ELBERT W. DENNIS, 0F BEATRICE, NEBRASKA,ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHN M. ANDERSON, O SWEET SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

SHOVEL-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May 4 1915.

Application filed October 21, 1913. Serial No. 796,485.

" in which the gate, when lowered, serves as a shovel board, the objectof my invention being the provision of an end gate including a gateproper, forming a shovel board when open, and wings forming a supportfor the gate when the latter is open, and means for locking the gatewhen closed.

A further object of my invention is to so construct thegate and wingsthat they may be detachably applied to any conventional form of wagonbody without the employment of bolts, screws or other fastening devices.In this connection, I provide attaching plates applicable to the sidesof a wagon body and adapted to hingedly receive the wings, which in turnsupport the gate.

A further object of my invention is to so construct these attachingplates that they may be applied, without structural changes, to allforms ofwagon bodies now in general use whether interiorly or eXteriorlycleated or braced. And a still further object of my invention istheprovision of an automatic lock for securing the end gate in closedposition, the lock being so constructed as to be readily releasable.

\Vith these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and thenspecifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form apart of this application.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a frag- 'mentary perspective view, showingthe rear end portion of a conventional wagon with my improved end gateapplied thereto, the

end gate being shown in open position; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinalsectional View, showing certain details of construction; Fig. 3 is afragmentary top plan View of the end gate in open position; Fig. 4 is arear elevation of the wagon with the end gate in closed position; Fig. 5is a detail sectional view taken through the end gate, showing theautomatic lock in top plan view; Fig. 6

is a perspective view ofone of the catches making .up the lock; Fig. 7is a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 5, showing the lock in sideelevation; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation, showing a modifiedform of lock construction; Fig. 9 is a section on the llne 99 of Fig. 8,further showing the modified form of lock; Fig. 10 is a fragmentarysectional view, showing a modified form of support for the lower end ofthe end gate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by'the samereference characters. The preferred embodiment of my improved end gatecon-.

struction consists primarily of a shovel plate 10, a pair of attachingplates, indicated as a whole by the numerals 11 and 12, wings 13 and 14and the end gate proper 15. The shovel plate 10 and attaching plates 11and 12 form the sole attaching means for the end gate and its wings andof these, the shovel plate alone is permanently attached to the wagonbody. This is no disadvantage as it does not in any way interfere withthe use of the wagon with other forms of end gates or without end gates.

In order to clearly disclose the construction, the method of applicationand operation of my improved end gate I have illustrated the same inconnection with a conventional form, of wagon body 16 including a bottom17 and side walls 18 and 19, these side walls adjacent their rear endsbeing braced each with a pair of vertically dis: posed spaced cleats 20and 21. With the ordinary form of end gate, the edges of the end gateare slipped between the adjacent cleats which then hold the end gateagainst displacement. In some types of wagon bodies, the body is bracedexteriorly instead of interiorly as shown but it will be later apparentthat the attaching plates which, .as will be described, are held inplace by these cleats, may be applied to exteriorly located cleats withequal facility. The shovel plate 10, which is formed of heavy sheetmetal, is firmly secured across the upper face of the bottom 17 of thewagon at the rear end thereof by screws 22. This plate is bentdownwardly over the end of the bottom 17 and then outwardly to form ahorizontal supporting ledge 23 in the plane of the lower face of thewagon bottom, being addltionally secured by screws 24, if foundnecessary.

The attaching plates 11 and 12, with the exception that they are formedin rights and lofts, are identical in construction, for which reason adescription of one will suliice for both. Each attaching plate is formedfrom heavy sheet metal, preferably pressed steel, a single piece equalin length to the height of-the wagon body being employed. The edgeportions of the sheet of metal are bent longitudinally and oppositely atright angles to the body portion to fit about the inner edge of thatside of the wagon body to which it is to be applied, as shown at 25,

and to furnish a rearward extension in the plane of the outer face ofsaid side. This extension is rebent upon itself to form a wingsupporting and gate centering member 26 of double thickness. Theremaining edge portion, namely, that one extending Within the wagonbody, is oppositely fluted to provide a longitudinal offset 27 toaccommodate the inside iron brace so common in Wagon body constructionand to further provide a locking offset 29 adapted to seat between thecleats 20 and 21 to hold the attaching plate against rearward movement.

In order to hold the attaching plate against inward movement, bars ofmetal 30 and 31 are riveted or otherwise secured to the double extensionand project by their free ends to bear against the outer face of theside of the wagon body. The outer ends of these metal bars or stripsareextended beyond the free edge of the wing supporting member 26 and bentto form eyes 32 and 33 to receive the pins of the hinges supporting thewings, as will be later set forth. In order to hold the attaching memberagainst swinging or turning movement, a bar or strip of metal 34 issecured by one end to the intermediate portion of the bar 31, which isthe upper bar, and which extends a considerable distance farther thanthe lower bar, and this bar 34 extended upwardly and bent inwardly andthen downwardly being secured by its downwardly directed terminal to thefluted portion 29. The lower outer corner of the portion 26 of theattaching device is cut away as shown at 35 for a reason which will behereinafter explained. The bar 30, which in effect forms a hinge plate,as well as a brace for the attaching member, is made shorter than thebar 31 in order to permit application of the attaching plate to a wagonbody having outside irons.

The wings 13 and 14 are formed of heavy sheet metal similar to that fromwhich the attaching plates are formed and secured to the outer faces ofthese wings by rivets or other suitable fastening devices are hinge bars36 and 37 having hinge pins 38 and 39 adapted to seat in the eyes 32 and33, re-

spectively, by which means the wings are hingedly secured to theattaching plates.

. At this point it should be noted that the hinge pin 38 is extended toa level with the bottom of the wagon body. The reason for this extensionwill be more fully explained in connection with the operation of the endgate. The hinge bars 36 extend across the entire width of the wings andthe narrower ends of the wings are cut-away or notched as shown at 40 toco-act with the terminals of the bars to provide seats 41. Openings 42are formed through the hinge bars 36 and wings for a'purpose which willbe later explained.

The end gate proper may be constructed of wood or metal as preferred,that in the drawings being formed of wood and being properly braced by aplurality of transversely extending braces 43, these braces in effect,together with longitudinal braces 44, forming a frame to receive theboards 45 from which the gate is made. This end gate is proportioned tofit snugly between the wing supporting and centering members 26 of theattaching plates when in raised position, seating by its lower edge uponthe ledge 23 of the shovel plate. U-shaped guides 46 are secured bytheir ends to the braces 43 in such a manner that their bight portionsare spaced slightly from the sides of the gate, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 4, allowing for the reception of the wings 13 and 14.

The upper face of the lowermost brace 43 is, when the gate is closed,substantially on a level with the lower edges of the hinge plates 36. An-L-shaped hinge bracket 47 is secured by one arm to the outer face ofthis lowermost brace 43 with its other arm bearing against the outerface of the gate and in spaced relation above the brace. That portion ofthe hinge bracket 47 above the brace, is circular in cross section, asbest shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and mounted for swinging movement, in ahorizontal plane, upon this hinge bracket, are the latch plates 48 and49. Each of these latch plates includes a substantially sector-shapedbody portion 50 provided along one radial edge with a perforatedextension 51 through which the hinge bracket passes and at its otherradial edge with a triangular extension 52 which forms the lockingshoulder of the latch plate. The body member is further provided with asubstantially rectangular extension 53. A helical spring 54 surroundsthe horizontal portion of the hinge bracket engaging at its ends againstthe hinge plates and gate to normally hold the hinge plates in theposition shown in Fig. 5 with their extensions 53 directed toward thegate. It will be apparent that force directed against the inclined edge54 of the locking shoulder of either plate will cause swinging wings andlock the wings in closed position,

the spring 5 forcing the latch plates away from each other to move theirlocking shoulders '54 into engagement with the outer wing. w Instead ofthis automatic form of lock a simple form, such as that shown in Figs. 8and 9 of the drawings, may be employed. This form of lock includes asubstantially rectangular locking plate 55 secured to the upper edge ofthe lowermost brace 43 and extending from the gate at right angles, thefree end portion of the plate being provided with a slot to receive alocking pin 56 having a stop shoulder 57 With this form of lock, thewings are swung to closed position, causing the locking plate 55 toproject through the slots 42. The pin 56 is then inserted in the slot ofthe locking plate until its further downward movement is limited by itsstop shoulder 57. The pin 56, when not in use, is held against loss by achain 58 secured by one end to thepin and by its other end to the gate.

The operation of my improved end gate may best be described by firstexplaining the manner in which it is applied to a wagon. The shovelplate 10 is first attached to the wagon, as previously set forth, andthe locking plates 11 and 12 then applied by positioning them with theirlower ends above the upper edges of the Wagon body with their flutedportions 29 in alinement with the spaces between the adjacent cleats 20and 21 and by then sliding the locking plates downwardly to the positionshown in Fig. 1. The end gate 15 is then placed in closed positionbetween the centering portions 26 of the locking plates and the wings 13and 1% applied.

When the gate is closed, the wing guides 46 extend in parallel spacedrelation to the portions 26 of the locking plates and it is thereforepossible, by releasing the latch or lock of the gate, to swing the wingsat right angles to the gate. The gate may then be lowered to theposition shown in Fig. 1 when the inturned outer ends of the wing guidesengage in the seats 41 of the wings to limit further downward swingingof the gate. In this position, the inturned lower ends of the wingguides seating at the rear of the extended hinge pins 38, serve toprevent any outward movement of the end gate during unloading of thewagon. In closing the gate, the gate proper is swung to verticalposition and the wings then folded against its outer face. When inclosed position, the inturned lower ends of the wing guards 46 stillseat behind the extended hinge pins 38 and assist the wings in holdingthe gate against movement away from the wagon body and also preventupward movement of the gate. It is to accommodate these inturned endsthat the lower ends of the gate centering portions 26 of the attachingplates are cut away as shown at 35.

F rcm the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan extremely simple and durable form of end gate con struction and onewhich, because of the fact that it may be attached to any common form ofwagon body without the use of bolts or other fastening devices, isinterchangeable. Y

It will of course be understood that I do not wish in any way to limitmyself to the specific details of construction, illustrated in thedrawings and described in the specification, as various minor changes,within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time withoutin the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention. Forinstance, a few wagon boxes have a steel plate attached to the rear endof the floor and in such cases the shovel plate would be superfluous.With such a wagon, a piece of angle iron 59 is secured to the brace 60which extends across the rear end of the wagon and flush with the end ofthe floor. The horizontal flange of this iron forms an effective supportfor the end gate, as will be readily understood. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an end gate construction for wagons, a shovel plate and attachingplates adapted to be detachably secured to the bottom and sides of awagon body, wings adapted for detachable hinged connection to theattaching plates, an end gate adapted to be sup ported by the shovelplate for swinging movement between the wings, but free from attachmentto the shovel plate, attaching plates or wings, and means carried by theend gate and engaging the wings to prevent tilting of the lower end ofthe end gate when in open position.

2. In an end gate construction, the combination with a wagon body havingsides provided with spaced vertical cleats, of at-' taching platesengaging against the ends and inner faces of the sides, said attachingplates being fluted to seat between the cleats, hinge plates secured tothe attaching plates and bearing by their forward ends against the outerfaces of the sides of the wagon body, U-shaped members secured bytheirends to certainfof the hinge plates and to the at-' taching platesand bearing by their bight portions upon the. upper edges of the sidesof the wagon, wings having hinge plates operatively engaging the hingeplates of the attaching plates, and an end gate supported by the wings.

I 3. In an end gate construction, the com bination with a Wagon body, ofashovel plate extending rearwardly from the Wagon body, an end gateswingingly supported at its lower edge upon the shovel plate and movableto vertical position, Wings hingedly connected to the Wagon body andadapted to fold inwardly across the rear face of the end gate, and meansfor automatically locking said wings in such position.

4. In an end gate construction, the combination with a Wagon body havingsides provided with vertical cleats, of attaching plates loc'kinglyengaging the sides and cleats, hinge plates secured to the attachingplates and bearing against the outer faces of the sides of the wagonbody, wings operatively connected to the hinge plates, and an end gatesupported by and between the wings.

In testimony whereof I afiix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT W. DENNIS. [11. s.] Witnesses:

JOHN M. ANDERSON, RICHARD L. WALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. a

